Indian Authorities Confirm Loss Of Contact With Secretive Satellite Two Days After Launch

India launched the GSAT-6A satellite 7 days ago. This indigenously built satellite was designed to improve communications for the armed forces. However, Indian authorities have just confirmed that they have lost contact with the powerful communication satellite and their successful launch was very short-lived.

The head of the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) told reporters that “an unfortunate power supply anomaly” was to blame. This is the first time India has lost a satellite in over a decade. The space organization also said they are trying their best to re-establish contact with the massive 2,066 kg satellite.

The GSAT-6A cost $41.5 million to build and it was seen as a massive success and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated the scientists responsible on his Twitter account. India is emerging as a new player in the multi-billion dollar space market and this is no doubt a huge setback.

India became the first nation in the world to successfully place a space vessel in orbit around Mars in the first attempt back in 2014. It also launched 104 satellites of different sizes in a single go back in February and overtook the previous record of 37 satellites by Russia in 2014 by a huge margin.

 

The next couple of days will bring more news on the subject and the fate of the GSAT-6A and if there is a chance of re-establishing contact or if it is lost to the massiveness of space forever.